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Republican Norm Coleman is making the rounds in Washington to change the perception that he’s the loser in the never-ending Minnesota Senate race.
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The politics of Minnesota’s mixed-up Senate race hit Capitol Hill Wednesday, as Republican Norm Coleman rallied support for his election lawsuit, while Democrats pondered seating comedian Al Franken before the litigation is resolved.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Democrats would “probably” seat comedian Al Franken as the 59th Democratic senator in a chamber where 60 votes are needed to pass any significant legislation.

Reid, who met with Franken late Wednesday, suggested Franken could be seated provisionally until the suit is resolved.

“We’re going to seat Al Franken, probably,” Reid said, adding that Democrats would “wait and see” what happens with the court case.

“We’re going to see if the Coleman people are just being dilatory or have some meritorious issues,” Reid said. “At this stage, it appears that all the issues have been raised in the canvas, and these decisions were determined by courts. So we feel we’re in really good shape in Minnesota.”

Franken’s attorneys are arguing in Minnesota Supreme Court that he should be officially certified the winner even though Coleman is challenging the results of the razor-thin race. Coleman is suing in a separate case contesting the state Canvassing Board’s decision.

“President Obama said yesterday we’ve got to get to work and to address the problems that we have,” Franken said, citing legislative issues the Senate is considering. “So when I do get here, I can hit the ground running.”

Coleman was also on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, meeting with the national media, huddling with Senate Republican leaders and then joining the entire GOP conference at its weekly lunch. He said he was “optimistic” that he will win the pending court case challenging the Minnesota decision that Franken had won the recount.

“This race is not going to be decided until we make sure that some ballots have not been counted twice and that absentee ballots are counted with the same ... uniform standard statewide,” Coleman said. “If we do that, I think I’ve got a good shot.”

Coleman declined to say how far he will take the fight or whether he’d ask the Senate to use its constitutional authority to weigh in. But he suggested that the case, before Minnesota district judges, could be his last step.

“Assuming we clarify those two issues — there are others out there, but they are really the most significant,” he said. “And we both would like quick resolution, but I can’t tell you a timeline.”

If Democrats try to seat Franken before Coleman is finished with his suit, it would spark a huge fight and potential filibuster from Republicans. Minnesota state law prohibits the official signing of an election certificate unless pending court challenges are resolved.

“It remains the view of everyone in my conference that the Minnesota Senate race ought to be decided in Minnesota, not in Washington,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said after Coleman spoke to Senate Republicans at a closed-door lunch.

Reid said that the Coleman forces already “took a pretty good blow” in previous court challenges and predicted that a three-judge panel would reject Coleman’s latest effort.

“What they were trying to do is have a series of minitrials that could go on over months,” Reid said. “The court, which is made up of three judges — a Democrat, a Republican and an independent — they said that was not the way to go.”

Reid predicted the case should take 2½ to three weeks and “that should wrap it up.”

“There’s no way that Coleman can win this,” Reid said. “The numbers just aren’t there. He should concede.”

Coleman’s first term expired Jan. 3, and he no longer has a Senate office, but his staff has been told they can do constituent work until Feb. 4.

“I’m a Jewish kid from Brooklyn, but I think I know what purgatory is,” he said.

Purgatory is going to look mighty good because after his death, Franken is going straight to hell.

For winning the election? Hell has strange standards for admittance. And before winguts wet themselves in a name-calling frenzy, please post proof that Al "stole" the election. Proof, not allegations. I am not sure you know the difference, but look it up.

Poor pathetic Norm. i feel sorry for the loser. he cannot beat a Ari America DJ for a Senate seat. pretty sad state of affairs for the current GOP. I think they need to find a rock to climb under and hope semi runs it over.

What is Norm saying " I know i lost to Al Franken, but dont forget my loss to Jessie Ventura too, please give me money" ? what a Clown.

Just what we needed in the Senate to go along with the Democratic clowns that are there now. Al Franken. Along with Dingy Harry and the Congressional leader Nancy Pelosi, should make a hell of a comedy act. Probably the best act in town. Lets get the "OSCAR" ready and consider these clowns as the benefactor. CELEBRATION TIME...HO-HO.

Here are some facts that call into question Franken's contention that he's the winner:

1. The day after the election, Coleman had 725 more votes than Franken.

2. One heavily Democrat town "discovered" 100 ballots...all for Franken. There's something peculiar about those 100 ballots though. All of them have a voting machine time stamp of 02 NOV....two days before the election.

3. Another 400 statistically improbable ballots were discovered in other Democrat strongholds and once again, all were mysteriously for Franken. So by the end of election week, Coleman's lead had dwindled to 225 votes over Franken.

Election recounts are never intended to get more accurate results. They are simply opportunities for Democrats to manufacture new votes and steal elections. All in a day's work for the sociailst.....er....democrat party.

Here are some facts that call into question Franken's contention that he's the winner:

1. The day after the election, Coleman had 725 more votes than Franken.

2. One heavily Democrat town "discovered" 100 ballots...all for Franken. There's something peculiar about those 100 ballots though. All of them have a voting machine time stamp of 02 NOV....two days before the election. Link please ? why would the canvassing board not address this?? oh yea, they did. the GOP run canvassing board said the votes count.

3. Another 400 statistically improbable ballots were discovered in other Democrat strongholds and once again, all were mysteriously for Franken. So by the end of election week, Coleman's lead had dwindled to 225 votes over Franken. canvassing board disagrees. sorry. so does Pawlenty, one of the GOP's new leaders.

4. Highly irregular counting methods led to Franken's eventual "lead" over Coleman. not according to the canvassing board and Governor Pawlenty.

Election recounts are never intended to get more accurate results. They are simply opportunities for Democrats to manufacture new votes and steal elections. All in a day's work for the sociailst.....er....democrat party. spin spin spin spin

Got link to your fantasy or did you just parrot Limbaugh's drug induced rants ??

Try and get used to the fact that your boy, Norm lost to an out of work liberal talk show host. LOL

Hey Norm who and your Party has Screwed up so bad with going lock step with Bush that we now face the biggest deficits we as a Nation has ever face, so please with all the Corruption and Lies to the People and many others Failures!!!!v Why would anyboby want to vote a Republican in Office again, don't you think that you and your Party has cause enough Damage? People have lost everything they own and the best you can do is What? Norm and McConnell who with Elaine Chow Labor x secretary telling us how good things were along and when the Change happen she and her Husband Mitch McConnell scamble to find Answer to the real Problem which they new all along for the last 7 years things were not good!!!! Just pump up number's to sell the Agenda. My hope is the Democrat's do more than just talk I am a Small Family Owned Business who has been in Business since 1990 and the last 8 years I have had no Business no sales most People that I worked for no longer have jobs, Thanks to the Bush and Republicans fail Policys and Out and out Corruption!!!!!